BRUSSELS — The European Union on Friday forged a unified response to the rapid advance of Islamic militants in Iraq and the resulting refugee crisis, allowing direct arms deliveries to Kurdish fighters battling the Sunni insurgents. Several EU nations pledged more humanitarian aid.

The emergency meeting of the bloc’s 28 foreign ministers in Brussels marked a shift toward greater involvement in Iraq, after weeks during which the Europeans mainly considered the situation an American problem because of the 2003 U.S.-led Iraq invasion.

Europe’s initiative came as Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki agreed to step down after weeks of insisting on a third four-year term. His resignation raised hopes Friday among Iraqi lawmakers for a new government that can roll back an increasingly powerful Sunni insurgency and prevent the country from splitting apart.

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